Ram Rahim Rape Case LIVE

The sentence against rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh will be declared by a special CBI court today. Followers of Dera Sacha Sauda in Punjab, Haryana and other cities, burned down gas stations and train stations and torched vehicles after Dera chief Ram Rahim was announced guilty of raping two women in a 2002 case. At least 38 people were killed and more than 200 injured in the violence in Haryana, officials said, drawing sharp criticism for the state government. The Haryana police said they have made sufficient security arrangements to ensure peace and harmony. The 50-year-old “Guru of Bling” has been lodged in Rohtak’s Sunaria jail after his conviction by the special CBI court in Panchkula on Friday. Rohtak has been placed under multi-layered security; 28 companies of paramilitary troops have been stationed in the town and Dera followers are not being allowed to enter the district.

Here are live updates from Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s Rape case conviction in Rohtak:

Aug 28, 2017

15:37:52 (IST)

CBI sources say they will push for greater sentence and have already moved application, in this regard.

15:29 (IST)

BREAKING NEWS: Dera Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping two women in 2002.

15:26 (IST)

Copy of judgement has been brought out.

15:07 (IST)

Arguments end in court; CBI seeks 10-year jail term for rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. Defence seeks reduced term for him on health grounds.

Rape case: Defence argues #RamRahimSingh is a social worker who has worked for welfare of people, so judge should take a lenient view.

Barbed-wire barriers have been erected and residents warned to stay indoors in Rohtak. Senior members of Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s sect were placed under detention as a precautionary measure.

13:15 (IST)

Thousands of paramilitary troops and anti-riot police have blocked off all roads in Rohtak. Mobile internet services remain suspended. All schools and colleges in Haryana are closed.

11:29 (IST)

To sentence Ram Rahim, Judge to land in chopper shortly: 10 facts

11:11 (IST)

The Border Security Force (BSF) has set up bunkers right outside the prison. Twenty-eight paramilitary companies, with about 2,400 personnel, have been deployed and 18 columns or about 1,800 soldiers of the Army are on standby.

11:09 (IST)

Ram Rahim’s main base in Sirsa, a sprawling 1,000-acre campus is likely to be searched by the police after the sentence. In searches at various Dera congregation centres, the police have found a large number of weapons, cars, bikes and “other objectionable items,” says Haryana police chief BS Sandhu.

10:45 (IST)

For Ram Rahim’s sentence, Judge to land at helipad, court set up at jail

After landing at a helipad near the prison where the “Guru of Bling” was incarcerated late on Friday night, Justice Jagdeep Singh will be escorted with thick security cover to a makeshift prison created within the jail located on the outskirts of Rohtak.

09:50 (IST)

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “Those who take law in their hands or take to violence will not be spared, whoever they are.”

09:48 (IST)

On Friday, as soon as the judge held Ram Rahim guilty of rape, tens of thousands of his supporters burnt cars and buses, vandalized property and targeted the media and others. Thirty-eight people have died in the clashes and property worth crores was destroyed in Panchkula, where the verdict was announced.

09:18 (IST)

The Delhi Police dismissed rumours of schools in the national capital being shut today in view of the sentencing of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Rohtak. Social media was abuzz with rumours that the police have instructed schools to remain closed as it anticipates violence. However, Madhur Verma, the Delhi Police’s Public Relations Officer, refuted such reports.

09:18 (IST)

The Delhi Police dismissed rumours of schools in the national capital being shut today in view of the sentencing of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Rohtak. Social media was abuzz with rumours that the police have instructed schools to remain closed as it anticipates violence. However, Madhur Verma, the Delhi Police’s Public Relations Officer, refuted such reports.

09:14 (IST)

As Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was being taken to a court on Panchkula on Friday for the verdict in rape case in which he was accused, a cavalcade of about 150 cars had accompanied him. Among them was a fire engine. The Haryana police on Sunday said there is a chance that two compartments in it contained petrol. Forensic tests are on. From other cars that were part of the Ram Rahim’s motorcade, the police had seized rifles, pistols and narcotics.

08:50 (IST)

“We will not allow anyone to create any sort of trouble in Rohtak. Anyone breaking law or indulging in acts of violence or arson will himself be responsible for his fate. Anyone creating trouble will be given a warning first and if he still pays no heed, then he will have to face the bullet,” Rohtak’s deputy commissioner, Atul Kumar, said.

08:39 (IST)

Rohtak Turns Into Fortress Ahead Of Ram Rahim Sentencing Today

Locals in Rohtak have been asked to stay indoors as a preventive measure ahead of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s sentencing.